Intel wipes the floor with Samsung

Intel has managed to extend its lead over nearest rival Samsung, according to a new report from beancounters at IC Insights.

The report shows that Intel increased its lead over number two Samsung with 44 percent higher sales.

Another chipmaker on the block, Nvidia, saw its sales fall by six percent but at least it did better than Panasonic whose sales declined by 9 percent.

The figures do not show the effects of ON's purchase of Sanyo Semiconductor in the first quarter of 2011, this caused ON's semiconductor sales to jump by 58 percent.

In total, the top 20 semiconductor suppliers showed a sales increase of 11 percent in the first quarter of 2011 as compared to a year ago. This growth rate is one point greater than IC Insights' full-year 2011 worldwide semiconductor market forecast of 10 percent.

All of the big five memory suppliers grew this year. Everyone other than Elpida, that is. The growth was thanks to strong results from flash memory products which made up for the tanking DRAM production.

Samsung, Micron Technology and Toshiba had double-digit increases on year in the first quarter.

However, since Elpida was DRAM dependant, it suffered from a 31 percent drop in revenues, IC Insights said.

Read more: http://www.techeye.net/chips/intel-wipes-the-floor-with-samsung#ixzz1NAwFLsnf